Holly Grove Middle School Media Specialist Kendra Allen was published in the September-October 2010 issue of School Library Monthly. This national magazine is distributed to over 10,000 schools nation-wide and is considered a leading source of current information for media specialists.
Allen co-authored the article, “Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities,” with Dr. Sandra Hughes-Hassell, an associate professor for the School of Information and Library Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the article, Allen and Hughes-Hassell examine if and how school librarians meet the needs of their students with disabilities through their professional information-gathering behavior and provision of services, resources, and information to both students with disabilities and to their parents. Current North Carolina school librarians were surveyed, and the results from the survey drove the article’s reflection on special education best practices and actual school library environments.
“A school library media specialist must know how to meet the needs of all students in a school; the entire population is our responsibility,” said Allen. “Our research showed that we must start with an awareness of the specific needs of the students we serve. It is only then that we can begin to implement services, accommodations, and modifications effectively as per best practice.”
Holly Grove Middle School Principal Kenneth Proulx takes pride in having Allen as a member of the new Holly Grove Middle faculty.
“To be published in School Library Monthly is a great honor for Kendra and serves to recognize her as a leader in the field of school library media. In opening Holly Grove Middle, Kendra serves on our Leadership Team, chairs our Technology Committee, and created our library with over 11,000 titles,” said Proulx. “For a brand new school that opened just seven weeks ago, we have already circulated over 6,500 books to our students. It is amazing the culture of reading and support that Kendra has created in a short period of time.”
Prior to joining Holly Grove Middle School, Allen was the Media Specialist at Holly Ridge Middle. She earned her Master’s Degree in Library Science with School Library Media Certification from the School of Information and Library Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Thanks to Principal Ken Proulx for sharing his story with GotNews.